Error setting up cron job

[Vermyndax]

I have a cron job trying to run partimage with -b (v0.6.4... 0.6.4-r1 built from Gentoo Portage, actually).

I get a "TERM environment variable not set" error.

I thought the -b command line switch allowed you to get around this?

I tried applying the fully-batch-mode.patch but it was for 0.6.2 and failed to patch the source.

[DW]

see: http://www.partimage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=93

[Vermyndax]

That thread you posted doesn't seem to really answer the question... except to say that maybe I'm just not going to get partimage to work from a cron job and it's planned for future development?

[DW]

Yes, you are correct: I do not have a definitive answer for you. I only have pointers that *may* help you. More research is needed to really answer your question.
Have you read:http://www.partimage.org/oldforums/viewtopic.php?t=95?

[Vermyndax]

Well, tried redirecting the output to a file... and the output said the same thing - TERM variable must be set. :(

[DW]

I've had a bit of a look at the source code (but I am flat out spelling C, let alone programming in it.).
It looks like the "Fully batch mode" patch is already in 0.6.4 It would also appear that the way to use it is via the -B option (not to be mistaken for the -b option).
The -B option wants a "challenge response string", but I don't understand just what that is.

[DW]

I don't think that the value for the -B option does anything, but it does need to be there.
In other words you need to use -B=something , but partimage does not seem to care what "something" is. So try:

partimage -B=foo save -z1 -f3 -b -d /dev/hda1 /mnt/backup/`date +%d%b%G`.pi064.gz

[tarapozan]

crons do not need any background veritable to be set, cron is background )
astigmatism

[Vladyghost]

Im having the same problem and this is lookinf chinese to me right now please help